Super Spaced Out

Surprise

Shrieking, Lily bolted up and banged her head. She fell onto the cushy material at her back. She clawed and kicked at the small space enclosing her. Dim light grew brighter. A calm voice related that her Escapade session ended. Head flipped side to side as she let out a stuttering whimper.

This wasn't Nuliac. This wasn't Nuliac.

She lay in her Dream Capsule. There were no monsters here. No alien monsters ready to eat her alive. No eyes. No mouths. It was all in her head. All in her head. She licked her lips, willing her trembling body still. Shallow breaths steadied and deepened. Her lower half was damp and cold. Stretching down her hand, she touched the wet part of her dress and smelled her fingers. She made a face and hatched open the capsule. Vortrand gave her orders: get him out of his capsule before Vlex escaped his.

Lily jumped from her shallow bed. Five Odovian Dream Guides clustered around a few of the capsules, including hers. One of the guides, a white Odovian, trailed behind her as she hurried to Vortrand's capsule. An array of HOptic controls glowed at the base of the captain's capsule. One of the icons depicted a hatched open vessel. Lily reached for it. A white hand clasped her wrist. The Odovian's white witchlights surrounded her head.

"Do not breach the capsule," the witchlights whispered. "You may damage the dreamer within."

Wrenching her hand from the guide's grasp, Lily sobbed into the Odovian's blank face.

"Please, this is an emergency! The Utori who entered my Escapade is in violation of the Tasaki Treaty. He wants to kill me and my..." Lily's eyes lowered. "Partner. We've got to get out of here before the Utori wakes up. He's an Obarion terrorist and won't care about the laws of Independent claimedspace." She clasped her hands together. "Please."

White witchlights gathered around the Odovian's shoulders. The alien stretched out a long arm and touched the open hatch icon. The capsule cracked apart with a quiet hiss. A mumbling, fidgeting Vortrand lay inside. Bleary, crimson eyes opened and when the captain recognized his surroundings he leapt up and grabbed Lily's arm. Hauling her through the capsule hall, he pushed affronted Dream Guides out of their way as he booked for the exit. Halting, he doubled back and pointed at the closest Odovian.

"Which capsule is the Utori in?"

The Odovian's witchlights oscillated from violet to red and it folded its long arms. Vortrand faced the rest of them. "Any of you? Which one?"

The white odovian, the one who helped Lily free Vortrand, pointed at the capsule next to Lily's. Dropping her arm, the captain strode to the closed Escapade chamber and bashed the external controls with a fist then he broke off the capsule's external handle. Banging from inside the white vessel followed the sabotage. The Odovians flew into a tizzy. All their witchlights flared red then bright white. They swarmed Vortrand, spewing remonstrations and threats. The captain swatted at the lights as he dragged Lily from the capsule hall.

"Bill the ID registered to whoever booked her session," Vortrand shouted. "He can pay."

They stumbled out of the recreation lounge area. When Vortrand turned to lift Lily, he paused and sniffed.